The Iparla ridges from Urdoz

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did this hike with our two dogs. The climb is challenging but there's no need to do any rock climbing. However, for the descent, do not follow the route at the Astateko pass! Three hours of winding along a goat path on the side of the mountain that you have to guess at and that is sometimes non-existent, in the middle of 1.80-metre-high ferns, brambles and nettles! And that's all the way to the car park!
Apart from that, it was windy, but given the heat, that was fine! We came across caterers and a few hikers, but nothing unusual or overcrowded. The landscapes and ridges are absolutely magnificent!

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Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

The climb to the Iparla Pass is very demanding, sometimes bordering on rock climbing, with sections where you need a head for heights.
Much of the route is unmarked (from the Col d'Astate onwards), and you often find yourself alternating between ferns, brambles and thistles... Very long! The route is difficult to follow without GPS, and it is essential to take plenty of water with you.

This hike is primarily intended for experienced and well-equipped hikers.

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Date of your route : May 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, BUT there are a few things to bear in mind before setting off:
- avoid climbing up to the ridges in wet weather, as it is quite steep and slippery
- we advise against leaving the GR10 to the left to descend towards Urdos as indicated on the map, as the path is almost non-existent and difficult --> we recommend instead descending via the marked PR trail before the section in the forest

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Date of your route : Mar 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

trip taken on 19 March 2025

A very beautiful hike with superb views.
The ridges are quite busy, probably because they are the destination of many hikes starting from Bidarray, St Etienne de Baigorry or even on the Spanish side, not to mention the GR10.
The climb to reach Iparlako lepoa is steep and quite vertiginous, to be avoided in wet weather!
given the previous reviews about the end of the route, I took a different route from point 10, following the track that starts from this point (you can see it below point 10 on the map). There were no problems getting back to Urdos, except for the last 500 m where you rejoin a narrow path full of brambles, as mentioned in the reviews. It is possible to bypass this path by staying on the track (which then turns into a road) but this involves a detour of at least 1.5 km.
It's not a huge detour, but it's at the end of the hike and your legs are tired.
The route took 6 hours including breaks

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Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The section leading up to the Iparla Pass is very steep and requires a good level of fitness

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I would have liked to do a variation by returning to Urdoz from the Harieta Pass. I don't know how to create a route from the basic hike

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Hello,
Thank you for these clarifications and suggested alternative routes.

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Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, hike completed on 18 July. The start was great! Up to point 9.
From 9 to 10, it's less straightforward but doable. Point 10 is visible from a distance.
However, from point 10 to 11, the path indicated in the description does not exist (or no longer exists): you are in a very steep area, filled with ferns 2 metres high (+ a few brambles). It is quite dangerous! I finally managed to find the route a little further than point 11, at the junction with the stream.
Finally, until you reach your destination, the paths are unmaintained: brambles, nettles, fallen trees across the path, fairly tall vegetation in places. I even had to go through a private field to finish just before reaching the church (the path was really inaccessible!!).
My advice: between points 8 and 9, at the Harrietako Lepoa pass, there is a path signposted Urdos! Either take it straight away, or continue to point 9 (where you can fill your water bottles at the water point in the woods) and turn back to the Urdos sign. The end of section 8-9 is worth it!
Enjoy your hike!

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Date of your route : Sep 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike.
However, as I wasn't sure about the condition of the descent, as mentioned in many comments, I descended directly from the peak of Toutoulia, following the descent route indicated on this hike https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-pic-...

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Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As previously mentioned, the trail after Astate is covered with ferns and brambles. It is no longer passable and may even be dangerous. I hiked this trail last year in better conditions and it was great, but now it should be avoided. Descend after Pic de Toutoulia, keeping to the left, to reach Urdoz.
Enjoy your hikes, everyone.

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A popular hike to the Pic d'Iparla, then to the Col de Sarastegis, with only a few hikers on the GR 10 trail. Peaceful and beautiful scenery.
However, after that, the path disappears very quickly. Climbing back up would require a lot of effort, so I decided to continue by following the GPX track as closely as possible. The ferns are two metres high and so dense that it is extremely difficult to move forward, with brambles and nettles underneath them. Crossing the streams is also extremely difficult as you can hear them but cannot see them. I broke a walking stick there. The slopes are hidden, and there is a real risk of falling. Even the path back to Urdoz is covered with brambles. Not recommended at this time of year as it is more of an obstacle course than a hike

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Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route. However, it seems that the descent from the Col d'Astate is very rarely used. The path is steep and narrow, cluttered with brambles, ferns and nettles (at the bottom). Do trail runners descend from Harrieta? At the very end, you have to leave the path, which is almost impassable, and follow it along the field on the right. Thank you in any case for this lovely discovery

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Date of your route : Oct 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Progress through the ferns is not easy

Lots of mosquitoes at the start

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Date of your route : Oct 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb, majestic and varied loop with beautiful views in good weather. Really steep climb between 7 and 8.
However, the return trail between 10 and 12 is practically closed off by ferns and brambles and is not recommended and even risky due to slippery and cluttered slopes under the cliffs between 10 and 11 (although you can see vultures nesting and flying). Tip: when you reach point 9, turn back and return via the Col d'Harrieta for the descent to Urdos. The timing of 8 hours with good stops is about right, but it can be tough in hot weather. Autumn is ideal.

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Date of your route : Aug 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike offers magnificent views and is well worth the effort after a steep but not dangerous climb.
However, I would like to draw your attention to the descent described, which is apparently not frequently used. Progress through the ferns is slow because the path is overgrown and the broom regularly reminds you that it has thorns. Once in the woods, you're not out of the woods yet, as mulberry trees block the path for a good part of the way.

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